Recruiting

The MObile Health InterVEntion in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (MOVE PAH) Study

ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05464095

PhaseNA

Enrollment100

SponsorVanderbilt University Medical Center

Age18 Years

SexALL

I'm interested View official listing

Conditions studied

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

About this study

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have reduced health related quality of life (HRQOL) and impaired exercise capacity. Despite fourteen approved therapies, most patients die within ten years. Increasing physical activity is highly efficacious in PAH, resulting in six-minute walk distance (6MWD) and HRQOL improvement that often exceeds the effect of medications. Prior activity studies required inpatient rehabilitation, which is impractical, hard to sustain, and poorly scalable to a rare disease. The Investigators propose a randomized trial of smart texts versus usual care for 6 months. The Investigators will randomize 100 PAH patients to the mHealth intervention or usual care. The Investigators will test the effect of a text-based mHealth intervention on HRQOL in PAH using the PAH-specific emPHasis-10 questionnaire. The Investigators will also test the effect of an mHealth intervention on exercise capacity, measured by a supervised home-based 6MWD test. Finally, the Investigators will examine the effect of the intervention on time to clinical worsening (composite of PAH therapy escalation, PAH hospitalization, and death) one year after randomization.

Interventions

Device: mHealth Intervention — The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) compliant texting platform is linked to the Fitbit Application Program Interface. Real time activity data will be transmitted from the subject's smartphone to the mHealth platform via cellular network. Participants assigned to the texting arm will receive 3 texts/day in sync with their preferred morning, lunch, and evening leisure schedule, which is defined at enrollment. These texts will use personal, disease-specific, and provider information to deliver 2 types of messages customized to the current step count and sent in equal proportion. Messages are designed to facilitate self-awareness, reinforce step targets, and link physical activity with a reward or memorable cue.
Device: Usual Care — The HIPPA-compliant texting platform is linked to the Fitbit Application Program Interface. Real-time activity data will be transmitted from the subject's smartphone to the mHealth platform via cellular network.

Primary outcomes

Change in Quality of Life as measured by the Short Form Survey (SF-36) (Baseline to 24 weeks)
Change in Quality of Life as measured by the emPHasis-10 (Baseline to 24 weeks)

Eligibility information

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 or older. * Diagnosed with idiopathic, heritable, or associated (connective tissue disease, drugs, or toxins) pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), or PAH due to simple congenital heart disease (i.e. atrial septal defect). * WHO functional class I-III * Stable PAH-specific medication regimen for three months prior to enrollment. Subjects with only a single diuretic adjustment in the prior three months will be included. Adjustments in IV prostacyclin for side effect management are allowed. * Forced vital capacity \>65% predicted with no or minimal interstitial lung disease based on reviews of imaging studies by PI and medical monitor. Exclusion Criteria: * Prohibited from normal activity due to wheelchair bound status, bed bound status, reliance on a cane/walker, activity-limiting angina, activity-limiting osteoarthritis, or other condition that limits activity. * Pregnancy * Diagnosis of PAH etiology other than idiopathic, heritable, or associated. * Functional class IV heart failure * Requirement of \> 2 diuretic adjustment in the prior three months. * Preferred form of activity is not measured by an activity tracker (swimming, yoga, ice skating, stair master, or activities on wheels such as bicycling or rollerblading).

Study locations

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232 United States

Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-27.